Translation of the Chofetz Chaim's Sefer Shmiras HaLashon. This site is dedicated to the improvement of the speech of members of Bnei Yisrael. To help avoid all sorts of troubles, learn Shmiras HaLashon - "One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards from troubles of his soul." (Mishlei: 21; 23)

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Shmiras HaLashon בּ אדר - Adar 2 - One-Hundred-and-Fifty-First Day

The person was only created for [the sake of involvement in] Torah [study], as our [Sages] of Blessed Memory have expounded [in maseches “Sanhedrin” (99b), as follows]: “A person was created to toil, as it says [in “Iyov”], “…A person was born to toil…” (Iyov: 5; 7) [Based on this alone], I do not know [if a person was created to involve himself in] toil of the mouth or toil of work. Once it says [in “Mishlei”], “…For his mouth has compelled him.” (Mishlei: 16; 26), I would say [that a person was created to involve himself in] toil [involving] the mouth, [however], I still do not know [if a person was created] to toil [in] Torah [study or] to toil [in] chatter. Once it says [in sefer “Yihoshua”], “This Book of The Torah shall not depart from your mouth…”[1] (Yihoshua: 1; 8), I would say that the person was created to toil in [the study of] Torah. [Torah study] is the essence of the life of the soul, as is [taught] in “Sifrei” [on] Parshas “Eikev” (Piskah 48), [as follows][2]: “Rabbi Shimon would say [in reference to the following pasuk]: “Only guard yourself and guard your soul greatly…”[3] (Divarim: 4; 9) [The above pasuk is] analogous to a king who trapped a bird and gave it into the possession of his servant. [Thereupon, the king] said to [his servant, as follows]: “Be careful concerning this bird [which is a present] for my son. If you shall lose him, do not think that you lost a bird worth an “isar”, rather, [consider it] as if you lost your life. Similarly, it says [in Parshas “Ha’Azinu”], “For it is not an empty matter… for it is your life.”[4] (Divarim: 32; 47)

[1] The entire pasuk states, “This Book of The Torah shall not be removed from your mouth and you shall contemplate its [teachings] day and night, in order that you shall guard [yourselves] to perform in accordance with all that which is written in it, for then you shall be successful in your paths, and then you shall be wise.” (Yihoshua: 1; 8)

Metzudas Tzion explains that the word “תהגה” could either mean “utter”, as in one should utter words of Torah day and night, or it could mean “contemplate”, in that the person should contemplate words of Torah during the day and night. The RaDa”K also offers the same explanation.

[2] The text from “Sifrei” states as follows:

“Rabbi Yishmael used to say, ‘“Only guard yourself and guard your soul exceedingly…” (Divarim: 4; 9) [This is] comparable to a king of flesh and blood who trapped a bird and put it in the possession of his servant. [Thereupon, the king] said to [his servant], ‘Be careful with this bird, [for it is] for my son. If you have lost it, don’t think that you have lost a bird valued at an isar, rather, it is as if you have lost your life. Similarly, it says [in reference to The Torah], “For it is not an empty matter from you…” (Divarim: 32; 47), [that which] you say is empty [when referring to The Torah] is that which is your life.””

[3] In reference to The Torah, this pasuk states, “Only guard yourself and guard your life exceedingly, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen [i.e. at Har Sinai – Commentary on Yonasan ben Uziel] and lest you shall remove them [i.e. these words of The Torah] from your heart all of the days of your life, and you shall teach them to your children and to your children’s children.” (Divarim: 4; 9) The next pasuk states, “The day [on] which you stood before HaShem your G-d at Choreiv (Har Sinai), when HaShem said to me (i.e. to Moshe), gather the nation for Me, and I shall make My words heard [by] them, [so] that they shall learn to fear Me all of the days that they are alive on the ground, and [so] that they shall teach it to their children.” (4; 10)

[4] This pasuk, also in reference to The Torah, states, “For it is not an empty matter from you, for it is your life, and in this matter you shall lengthen your days on The Land which you are crossing the Jordan [River to go over] there [in order] to inherit it.” (Divarim: 32; 47)